I Thought We'd Go Fishin'
by Vivian Caidin
Summary: A continuation of In Death Life Goes on. A sudden increase of murders has the gang investigating the Swim Team. Xander's transgenic side effects unfortunately are activated.
1. Prologue

TITLE: I Thought We'd go Fishin'

DISCLAIMER: Joss Whedon owns Buffy, James Cameron owns Dark Angel, Davis Panzer/Gregory Widen owns Highlander, other crossovers to come.

PAIRING: Xander/Cordelia, Willow/Oz

RATING: M and R for language, violence, and content.

SPOILERS: Dark Angel is set at the end of season 2. Buffy is set during season 2's episode "Go Fish". Highlander is set after the Series, but before Endgame.

Summary: A continuation of In Death Life Goes on. A sudden increase of murders has the gang investigating the Swim Team.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is based on Challenge 1405: Not so broken world submitted by Ladeia and Challenge 400: Immortal Revelation by Teri from Twisting the Hellmouth.

Prologue

…Beach Party…

Under the faint light in the interior of the Tiki Bar and Grill, Xander Harris stood, pool cue in hand and watched as his opponent scratched and sunk the cue ball.

He shared a smirk with Cordelia Chase who stood on the sidelines with Willow Rosenburg watching him play nine ball.

His opponent was a jock from school, someone from the swim team who had been surprised that the jokester knew how to play the game.

As it was his turn, the transgenic easily sank the rest of his balls as he mentally calculated the physics needed to win.

The jock stood in stunned silence as Xander sank the last ball. He looked at the teen in surprise. 'I've been hustled,' he thought to himself as Xander stepped closer to him.

"Pay up," the X5 said with a smirk, "50 a ball."

Frowning, the jock shoved $300.00 at the young man and stormed away to find the spiked punch.

"Wasn't it a stupid idea to have the party at the beach?" Willow asked as Xander stuffed his winnings into his wallet. "It's kinda cold out there," the red head stated as she looked out into the night at the raging party.

Xander looked at his friend as she shivered and rubbed her hands up and down her arms. He did not need it, so he pulled his light jacket off and slipped it over her shoulders.

"Since they won," Cordy said as she sipped from her can of diet soda, "they got to choose where to have their victory celebration."

"I just can't get over the fact that our team won." Xander said with a smirk. "I mean, it's the swim team," he shrugged. "Our entire sports teams suck."

"Jealous?" Cordelia asked as she moved to his side for a quick kiss.

"No," the transgenic said with a sigh as he slipped his arm around her shoulders, "Just surprised is all."

The trio headed out of the Tiki Bar to look for their other friend.

The tall brunette nodded as she continued their conversation, "My cheerleading squad wasted a lot of time on losers, it's a wonder we ever went to state."

"Well," Willow said in a perky tone, "Sunnydale does have a high mortality rate. Maybe that has something to do with it.

Xander laughed as he said, "At least we're number one in something."

Cordelia slapped him in the stomach at that.

…I Miss My Misspent Youth…

"Help!" a male voice could be heard not far away and most of the students totally ignored the plea.

Xander and Cordelia shared a look. Silently, he told her to stay with Willow and turned to investigate.

Buffy Summers met Xander in the middle and rushed to the drink tub where a crowd had gathered.

One of the smaller students, Jonathon Levinson was being harassed by some members of the Swim Team.

"Hey, Johnny boy, you need to hold your breath longer than that if you wanna join our team," one of the team said as he pushed the smaller teen's head back under the water.

Suddenly, the Swim Team member was pulled away from the tub and forcefully thrown to the ground.

"Hey!" he exclaimed as he looked up and noticed the petit blonde as she stood in his way.

"Nice tattoo." She said as she gave him a dark glare.

Xander helped a coughing Jonathon away from the scene.

"You're alright, buddy," he said as he patted the shorter young man on the back.

Johnathon coughed and spit water out of his mouth as he shivered in the cool breeze.

"Somebody get him a towel," Xander said as he looked at the others who were watching.

"Mind your own business," the teen said as he shoved away from the transgenic and stumbled before he left on his own.

Xander frowned as he watched after the young man's progression away from the party.

…I Can Hear the Oceans Roar…

The jock Buffy had pulled off of Jonathon was down the beach by himself.

"I can't believe that Buffy," he said to himself as he frowned and knelt on the ground. One hand sifted through the slippery sand as he watched the ocean as far as his eyes could see into the darkness.

After a moment he stood and frowned. He doubled over, as if in pain and clutched his stomach. 'What the hell?' he thought to himself as another wave of pain hit and he collapse to the ground.

He began to scream as the pain took over completely.

Tears in the young man's skin elicited a startled, painful moan from the jock. The gashes widened and the young man watched in near amazed wonder as they spread further.

He dropped to the ground one final time as a seam widened down his back and inky black flesh showed through to what was beneath the skin.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1**  
**  
…Okay Computer…

Xander and Cordelia sat next to one another in the back row. They shared a computer and Cordy was looking over the young man's shoulder.

"I didn't know Alec could do all of this," she said barely above a whisper as she watched him expertly hack into the Watchers' Database with the assistance of a disc Giles had give him. He maneuvered the computer as easily as Logan, Luke or Dix were able to.

"Sit back," the young man responded with a smirk as he cracked his knuckles. "Relax, and watch how it's done."

He clicked the underlined link of the name Rupert Giles and the pair leaned closer to the screen and read…

Name: DeLeuze, Gilles  
Also Known As: Hugh Conte de Champagne; Rappels, Jack; Denise Grandjouan  
Born: 1084, France  
First death: 1136, in battle on the outskirts of Jerusalem  
Mentors: Methos, Darius, Agamemnon  
Status: Presumed deceased, no further investigation to determine veracity.  
Death: 1993, Suicide

Other than his bout of schizophrenic insanity in the early 19-th century,  
DeLeuze had maintained a low profile.

The pair looked at one another in deep confusion then continued to read…

DeLeuze had never been an active member of The Game, though when  
provoked, he would defend himself with fierce determination not seen in most  
Immortals. It is presumed, that in a state of deep depression, DeLeuze cut off  
his own head after having heard of Darius' death at the hands of rogue Watcher  
Horton.

As DeLeuze he lived in Paris the rest of his life.

He practiced and taught philosophy up until he retired in 1987. He even  
published several books on the subject.

In 1956, he was Denise Paul "Fanny" Grandjouan.

In 1968, he reestablished his friendship with Darius who had been living in the  
Abbey near the Sienne River.

In 1969, he was appointed to the University of Paris VIII at Vincennes/St. Denis,  
an experimental school organized to implement educational reform. DeLeuze  
taught at Vincennes until his retirement in 1987.

In 1993, Deleuze entered a state of deep depression after his lifelong friend,  
Darius was murdered by the rogue Watcher Horton in his church. This depression  
grew more severe and was compounded by the death of his wife later that same year.

Late November 1993, it is rumoured that DeLeuze took his own life.

It is believed that this Immortal began his life as Hugh Conte de Champagne...

Cordelia noticed that Willow, who had been assigned to teach the computer classes until a new teacher could be hired, was headed in their direction. She tapped the other transgenic on the shoulder to get his attention.

Xander looked up and noticed Willow headed in their direction. He smiled as he minimized the Watcher's screen to show a view of the pie chart they were working on together already completed.

Willow reached their computer and looked at the screen. Nodding she smiled, "Good work, guys."

"Thanks," Cordelia said as the red head moved away from them.

Xander watched as his friend moved to one of the other students and maximized the Watchers' site one more time. He hit the print button up at the top of the screen as the bell sounded for end of class. Then, he finished up by wiping the History clean from the computer and deleted any and all cookies that might have popped up from his little hacking adventure.

The young man pulled the small stack of paper from the printer and surreptitiously slipped it into his blue and white bag. While he was doing that, Cordelia quickly pulled the disc out of the machine and put it in a protective case before she slipped it into her bag to hand to Giles later that day.

The pair hung back unobtrusively as they noticed Snyder enter the room. Xander did not want to leave the young hacker alone with the troll.

Cordelia frowned as she listened in on their conversation from across the room.

"I spoke with the School Board. They've been having trouble finding a fill in this late in the school year. Do you think you could sub through finals?"

"Sure," Willow perked up with a huge smile on her face, "I like to teach."

"Isn't that nice," the troll said in a droll tone. "I understand there's a problem with Gage Petronizi."

"Yeah," she nodded. "Besides the behavior and the not doing of his homework and the not taking of the tests…"

Snyder cut her off impatiently, "I don't want to hear any of that. I wondered why you were failing him even though this school will most likely win the State Championship for the first time in fifteen years."

"Excuse me?" Willow sounded stunned.

"If he fails, he'll have to be removed from the Swim Team…" he spoke over her words as though she had said nothing, "Is that how you show school spirit?"

"Well…" she flinched, "No, I just want to be fair…"

He interrupted her, "Mr. Petronizi is a champion. You should cut him some slack if he's under too much pressure."

"Are you asking me to change his grade?" she asked sternly.

"I never said that," Snyder said as he pointed at her. "I just think you should recheck his test, and perhaps you'll find that he made a 'D' instead of an 'F' in lieu of his Swimming Career."

Willow's mouth dropped open as she followed the principal out with her eyes.

Xander and Cordelia moved up to stand on either side of her as the troll exited the room.

Willow told them what Snyder had said.

"Did he say what I think he said?" Xander asked her, he could not believe his ears.

"I think he made it perfectly clear without actually telling me to do it," Willow said as her shoulders slumped.

"That's just wrong," Cordy said as she shook her head, her eyes on the door leading into the hall.

"It's a slap in the face to everyone who's earned their grade," Xander said in stunned horror.

"It seems," his girlfriend said as she looked up at him, "that certain people are entitled special privileges."

"Do you know what's really aggravating?" Xander said as he looked at the door, "Buffy's not here to share in our moral outrage."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

...Oh Mercy How They Scare...

Rupert Giles had been in a faculty meeting with Snyder and the rest of the teaching staff early that morning.

'Students are being murdered,' he thought to himself as he rose from his chair in the Teachers Lounge and headed toward the Library.

He noticed a couple standing in the hall in front of his double doors and assessed them for any type of threat.

The pair of adults was suspicious looking as they loitered in the hallway. The male was short and slightly rotund with receding grayish blonde hair. He wore jeans, a buttoned up flannel shirt and a sport coat. The female was taller, thin with honey blonde hair and wore a rumpled calico sundress.

They turned, nearly as one when Giles asked if he could help them with anything.

The woman swallowed slightly as she noticed him and began to speak, "Yes, we're actually looking for our son."

"Did you try going to the Office?"

She cut him off, "We went there, the office said to speak with a Mr. Giles who works in the library."

"I am he," he said as he waved the pair into his domain.

The pair followed him, but while the woman followed him to the counter, the man hung back near the door.

"We're actually looking for our son, Xander," she said with a concerned sound to her voice. "I'm Jessica Harris and that's my husband Anthony."

Giles looked down at the woman then over at the male for a good, long moment. He thought it was odd that the young man favored his mother greatly, but had no resemblance to his father. 'Interesting,' he thought to himself as he looked back at the mother.

"I haven't seen him today," he said. "Why are you looking for him now? You should see him when he comes home after school."

"That's the thing," she said as she wrung her hands nervously, "We haven't seen him nearly since Halloween. Haven't heard from him either."

"Let's go, Jessica," Tony said impatiently from the door.

"I will tell Xander you are looking for him," the Librarian said with a stern glare over at the young man's father.

"Thank you," Jessica said, "that's all I can ask."

…Something's Fishy…

"So he treats me like the bad guy just because Cameron had a sprained wrist and a split lip," Buffy said from the stacks as she lifted a book from the shelf and headed toward the table.

Giles and Willow sat at the table looking at a couple of ancient books. Xander sat at a different table, studying the notes he had printed out from earlier. Cordelia had just entered the room from the office after putting the disc back in Giles' desk.

"And," Buffy continued to complain as though she were not being ignored, "he gets away with it because he's on the Swim Team."

"They have been acting like jerks recently," Cordelia observed as she moved to Xander's table to sit next to him.

Giles and Willow looked over at Buffy in annoyance.

The blonde Slayer noticed their expressions and frowned. "Anything new?" she changed the subject as she sat in front of the pair.

"Some remains were found on the beach this morning," Giles said as he cleaned his glasses, "Human remains."

"Dodd McAlvy," Willow said by way of explanation.

"Vamp?" the blond asked as she looked at them with interest.

"No," Giles said with a shake of his head, "Nothing remained except his skin."

Xander walked over to the table after having put his notes away, "So it wasn't a boating accident."

Cordelia frowned as she too moved over to the main table, "Something ripped him apart and ate his innards? What could do something like that?"

"Yes," Giles said as he frowned thoughtfully. "Principal Snyder has asked the staff to keep quiet about this. Not to upset the student body."

"So we're lookin' for some kind of thing," Xander said thoughtfully. 'What could do this?' he wondered to himself. 'If we were back home, I'd suspect an anomaly.'

As if she could read his thoughts, Cordelia looked over at him and frowned.

"Yes," Giles said with a frown. "Something that eats humans whole but leaves the skin…" he stuck his nose back into the ancient book that he was reading.

"A nomly," Cordelia said quietly, thinking.

"This doesn't make sense," Buffy said with a frown.

"The muscle's the best part," Xander said jokingly.

"Ouch," he snapped as Cordelia slapped him in the arm.

"Shut up," she snapped back as she rolled her eyes.

The others looked up at the pair.

"Sorry," Xander said, not meaning it, as he stood.

…There's Your Threat...

Xander decided to take a break; he walked to the student lounge alone. He stood at the bank of vending machines and counted out enough change for a coke.

The hair at the back of the young transgenic's neck stood on end as he heard the double doors open and turned. He noticed Gage Cameron, one of the students on the Swim Team also in his computer class, as he entered the room.

Xander totally forgot about his drink as a sneer stole over his face.

Not watching where he was going, Cameron nearly ran into the other teen as he continued on his way.

The X5 grabbed the other student by the shoulders and slammed him up against a drink machine and lifted him off his feet one handed.

"Hey!" Cameron protested, "Watch it!" He said as he looked down into the face of the class clown.

Xander's eyes and face showed no emotion.

"Oh, forgive me," the dark haired young man said as he leveled a glare. "Keep your hands to yourself unless she wants it," he warned as he shoved the larger young man into the machine and released him.

"What the hell are you talkin' about, Harris?" Gage said as he remained where he was as he dropped to his feet. The intense brown eyes locked him into place.

"You know exactly what the fuck I'm talking about, Cameron," Xander nearly snarled. "Buffy," was his one word response.

"You're lucky I'm hungry, Harris," the other teen said as he ignored the intimidated feeling and headed for the cafeteria.

Xander watched the other's progress with an extremely dark look on his face. 'How easy would it be for me to snap and rip him apart?' the X-5 wondered to himself as he visibly shook, like an animal shaking out its anger.

He headed back to the Library, soda forgotten.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 4

…Well Worth a Listen…

Xander was headed back to the Student Lounge when he heard voices headed in his direction. The young transgenic vaulted the counter of the often unmanned commissary and ducked under the bar.

He picked out Principal Snyder's and Coach Marin's voices as they walked into the lounge.

"Sooner or later," the coach's voice sounded indignant, "the others are gonna find out what's going on."

"It's a terrible tragedy," Snyder sounded like he really did not mean what he said, "I really feel your pain, Robert. But I know they'd want their friends to win state. You have to think about the team."

'All that troll cares about is the championship,' Xander thought to himself, 'he couldn't give two shits about the people.'

"We need a complete team, Percy," the coach spoke, "If we don't find someone during tryouts, we won't be eligible."

"You'll find someone," Snyder said in a fake encouraging tone, "All he has to do is wear a suit, right?"

…Radar Love…

Three members of the Sunnydale Swim Team stood on the blocks ready for a relay.

Coach Marin blew the whistle and the three dove into the pool.

Buffy, Willow and Cordelia watched the swimmers from the bleachers.

"So he spit it out?" Willow asked as she eyed Gage suspiciously, he was the fastest one out of the three swimmers.

"I thought Angelus liked blood," Cordelia said with a frown as she eyed the teenage boys, their bodies no longer appealed to her.

"I thought so too," Buffy said as she watched her temporary boyfriend. "Maybe it was something in his blood… like steroids."

"That would explain their behavioral changes," the transgenic said thoughtfully.

"And their winning streak," Willow agreed with a nod. She then continued, "So maybe whatever is in their blood is attracting the creature."

"Did you guys find anything on this monster?" the blonde Slayer asked as she pulled at her ponytail and twirled the end with a finger.

"No," Willow said in defeat, "We couldn't find anything that matched Xander's description."

Cordelia's eye caught the body of a swimmer as he exited the locker room, "Oh, hello, salty goodness." She blinked a couple of times. Throat suddenly dry, she swallowed.

The swimmer had a perfect physique. Athletic legs, sleek, lean lines, nice, tight black Speedo, taught abs, hairless chest. "Now, that is my idea of the perfect…"

"Xander!" Willow exclaimed when she caught sight of her best friend.

"Xander?!" Cordelia echoed, wide eyed, a funny little smile on her face. She knew he was a transgenic, but she did not realize he was in this good a shape.

He noticed their attention on him and gave a long, knowing smirk. He moved, more like sauntered in that X5 way as he moved over to them.

"Like what you see?" he quipped, he knew they did.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Buffy snapped at him as she threw a towel at him to cover up his body.

"I'm undercover," he said quietly so no one else would hear.

"Not much," Cordelia said that funny smile still on her face.

"When did you join the Swim Team?" Willow asked as she eyed him owlishly.

"I tried out last night," Xander said with a self satisfied smirk on his face.

"Really?" Cordy asked curiously, thoughtfully.

"Got the fastest time, too," he said in a pompous, superior tone.

At Buffy's glare, he sobered, "Yeah, I figure I can keep an eye on the others when Buffy can't."

Willow ogled the transgenic, at a loss for words.

"Harris, flirt on your own time!" the coach growled out.

"Sure thing, Coach," Xander said quietly as he gave a mock salute and headed to one of the blocks. He listened to the instructions and gave a nod.

"I'm dating a swimmer from the Sunnydale Swim Team!" Cordelia exclaimed loudly with a huge grin on her face.

"Now, you can die a happy death," Buffy said as she rolled her eyes.

The girls watched interestedly as Xander put a swim cap on his head and stepped onto the block.

"So how is Jonathon involved?" Buffy asked as they continued to watch the show.

"No, he's not involved," Willow shook her head emphatically as she watched Xander dive in perfectly and put on a surprising burst of speed as though swimming were second nature to him.

…It Has Begun...

Xander frowned as he entered the sauna after practice. He felt that hair-raising feeling as he sat as close to the exit as possible.

"You guys aren't claustrophobic?" the heat was too cloying and he could feel a headache begin at the back of his head to shoot through his left eye. His heart began to thrum faster as he recognized the symptoms and realized what was happening.

He ignored the feeling of pressure, trying to stave it off as long as possible, as he continued to speak, "I mean, you can't breathe, you sweat a lot, you can't read…"

He frowned as he looked down and noticed that his hand was shaking. 'Oh no,' he thought to himself, 'I thought I was finally rid of this shit.'

"I gotta go, boys," Xander said as he rose from the bench and left quickly. He never noticed the green, clawed fingers that poked through the grate and lifted it.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

…Well Worth a Listen…

Xander was headed back to the Student Lounge when he heard voices headed in his direction. The young transgenic vaulted the counter of the often unmanned commissary and ducked under the bar.

He picked out Principal Snyder's and Coach Marin's voices as they walked into the lounge.

"Sooner or later," the coach's voice sounded indignant, "the others are gonna find out what's going on."

"It's a terrible tragedy," Snyder sounded like he really did not mean what he said, "I really feel your pain, Robert. But I know they'd want their friends to win state. You have to think about the team."

'All that troll cares about is the championship,' Xander thought to himself, 'he couldn't give two shits about the people.'

"We need a complete team, Percy," the coach spoke, "If we don't find someone during tryouts, we won't be eligible."

"You'll find someone," Snyder said in a fake encouraging tone, "All he has to do is wear a suit, right?"

…Radar Love…

Three members of the Sunnydale Swim Team stood on the blocks ready for a relay.

Coach Marin blew the whistle and the three dove into the pool.

Buffy, Willow and Cordelia watched the swimmers from the bleachers.

"So he spit it out?" Willow asked as she eyed Gage suspiciously, he was the fastest one out of the three swimmers.

"I thought Angel liked blood," Cordelia said with a frown as she eyed the teenage boys, their bodies no longer appealed to her.

"I thought so too," Buffy said as she watched her temporary boyfriend. "Maybe it was something in his blood… like steroids."

"That would explain their behavioral changes," the transgenic said thoughtfully.

"And their winning streak," Willow agreed with a nod. She then continued, "So maybe whatever is in their blood is attracting the creature."

"Did you guys find anything on this monster?" the blonde Slayer asked as she pulled at her ponytail and twirled the end with a finger.

"No," Willow said in defeat, "We couldn't find anything that matched Xander's description."

Cordelia's eye caught the body of a swimmer as he exited the locker room, "Oh, hello, salty goodness." She blinked a couple of times. Throat suddenly dry, she swallowed.

The swimmer had a perfect physique. Athletic legs, nice, tight black Speedo, taught abs, hairless chest. "Now, that is my idea of the perfect…"

"Xander!" Willow exclaimed when she caught sight of her best friend.

"Xander?!" Cordelia echoed, wide eyed, a funny little smile on her face. She knew he was a transgenic, but she did not realize he was in this good a shape.

He noticed their attention on him and gave a long, knowing smirk. He moved, more like sauntered in that X5 way as he moved over to them.

"Like what you see?" he quipped, he knew they did.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Buffy snapped at him as she threw a towel at him to cover up his body.

"I'm undercover," he said quietly so no one else would hear.

"Not much," Cordelia said that funny smile still on her face.

"When did you join the Swim Team?" Willow asked as she eyed him owlishly.

"I tried out last night," Xander said with a self satisfied smirk on his face.

"Really?" Cordy asked curiously, thoughtfully.

"Got the fastest time, too," he said in a pompous, superior tone.

At Buffy's glare, he sobered, "Yeah, I figure I can keep an eye on the others when Buffy can't."

Willow ogled the transgenic, at a loss for words.

"Harris, flirt on your own time!" the coach growled out.

"Sure thing, Coach," Xander said quietly as he gave a mock salute and headed to one of the blocks. He listened to the instructions and gave a nod.

"I'm dating a swimmer from the Sunnydale Swim Team!" Cordelia exclaimed loudly with a huge grin on her face.

"Now, you can die a happy death," Buffy said as she rolled her eyes.

The girls watched interestedly as Xander put a swim cap on his head and stepped onto the block.

"So how is Jonathon involved?" Buffy asked as they continued to watch the show.

"No, he's not involved," Willow shook her head emphatically as she watched Xander dive in perfectly and put on a surprising burst of speed as though swimming were second nature to him.

…It Has Begun...

Xander frowned as he entered the sauna after practice. He felt that hair-raising feeling as he sat as close to the exit as possible.

"You guys aren't claustrophobic?" the heat was too cloying and he could feel a headache begin at the back of his head to shoot through his left eye. His heart began to thrum faster as he recognized the symptoms and realized what was happening.

He ignored the feeling of pressure, trying to stave it off as long as possible, as he continued to speak, "I mean, you can't breathe, you sweat a lot, you can't read…"

He frowned as he looked down and noticed that his hand was shaking. 'Oh no,' he thought to himself, 'I thought I was finally rid of this shit.'

"I gotta go, boys," Xander said as he rose from the bench and left quickly. He never noticed the green, clawed fingers that poked through the grate and lifted it.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

…Why Does It Hurt so Bad?…

Xander, fully clothed, running a hand through his dark hair, stumbled out of the locker room and walked past Buffy without seeing her.

She frowned as she watched him walk down the hall, his actions were suspicious. He stumbled into the wall and slid slightly down to the floor, shaking bodily like a man going through withdrawals.

Buffy rushed over to him and squatted down in front of him to touch his face. She pulled her hand away, shaking it as though she had been burned, he was so feverish. "Xander?" she questioned.

"You gotta love those undercover jobs," he quipped in a shaky tone with a laugh at the end. "Twenty minutes…" he shook some more then stilled, "…in a hot room with a bunch of sweaty guys..."

"Xander?" Buffy said his name once more in a worried tone.

He shook his head, "I need…" he tried to speak but he was shaking too much.

"Where's Gage?" she said as she noticed he was on his way to passing out.

"I don't know," he said as he closed his eyes. "He was just coming out of the sauna when I was finished with my shower." He tried to rise from the ground.

Buffy tried to help, but the young man shook her off. "Leave it!" he snapped rudely as he shook her off and headed down the hall at a controlled pace trying not to seize.

…Help Me if You can I'm Feeling down…

Xander entered the library, stumbled over to a table and collapsed on it still shaking.

Giles looked at him, wide eyed, "Xander, what's wrong?"

"Have the meds come in yet?" the young man questioned as he shook violently from the seizure.

"No," the Watcher said with a frown. "We should receive a package real soon though."

The X5 struggled to breathe calmly through the shakes. "I… had hoped… we left these… behind," he stuttered out at the end of a sob.

"You can have my turkey sandwich," the Watcher had remembered what the young X-5s had told him… about tryptophan, turkey and milk.

"That's…" Xander began, but a particularly violet shake overtook him and he rode it out and tried once more, "…better than nothing."

…My Foolish Friend…

Willow sat with Buffy surfing through the school medical files on a computer in the student lab.

"It was weird," the blonde Slayer told her friend. "He was shaking, I tried to help him but he was really rude… so totally not acting like our Xander shaped friend."

"Yeah," Willow nodded, "I've seen him do it too… And he's been late to class a few times," she flipped through some more school files, "…weird."

"Is he on something that we don't know about?" Buffy asked her friend.

"I don't know," the red head frowned.

"There," the blonde pointed to something onscreen.

"McAlvy, Dodd, torn tendon, depression, headaches," the hacker read, "Petronizi, Gage, fractured wrist, depression, headaches."

"It's all there in the records," Buffy said thoughtfully.

"Symptoms of steroid abuse," Willow trailed off as she noticed Xander, perky and upbeat, walk into the room.

"Steroid abuse is linked with, 'I'm a Fish'?" the young man quipped as he sat down next to her.

Buffy eyed him suspiciously; she looked for anything that would explain his earlier behavior.

"There must be something else that's wrong with them..." Willow trailed off thoughtfully.

"If steroids are that dangerous," Xander said with a thoughtful look on his face, "Why would they do that to themselves?"

"I don't know," Buffy said as she looked at him suspiciously, "Why would you do it?"

He looked at her for a long, hard moment. "I wouldn't," he finally said in a dead tone, "Why do you ask?"

"Why were you shaking earlier and your fine now?" Buffy confronted him.

Xander's eyebrows shot up as he looked at her, "I don't know what the hell you're talkin' about." He stood quickly and left the room.

Buffy and Willow shared a communicative look at one another.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

...Give Me Steam...

Xander sat in the steam room with the other teens on the swim team and frowned.

"I love swimmin'," Xander said good-naturedly as he looked at the other guys relaxing in the fog. Once more, he ignored the headache in lieu of trying to get information. "When do we get our next fix?"

The others looked at him curiously, but the young man, Sean he thought was the guy's name, was the spokesman as he said, "What do you mean?"

"Who has the stuff? I need something to improve my game…" he smiled in that persuasive manner that he had.

"You're soaking it up, dude," Sean said as he leaned back and closed his eyes.

"What?" the transgenic's attention snapped to the jock.

The young man inhaled deeply and told him, "It's in the steam."

Xander nodded and played along for a few more minutes before he could not ignore the headache at the back of his skull.

"I gotta go to the head," he said as he stood shakily and left the sauna, towel securely in place.

…An Experiment with Life…

Xander bit his thumbnail as he paced back and forth like a junkie on speed.

Willow and Buffy sat together, thick as thieves as they watched their friend from a different table than their usual one.

Cordelia watched her boyfriend concernedly as she sat at the main table, a frown on her pretty face.

Giles cleaned his glasses once more as he watched the young man pull a bottle from his bag, pull out about five pills and dry swallow them.

The other X5 wanted to comfort him, but knew in the face of their friends her actions would look suspicious.

Xander shoved the medication into his messenger bag and set the bag on a chair by the counter.

"You said they were absorbing the steroids through steam?" Giles asked as he cleaned his glasses.

"Yeah, I got outa there as quick as I could, but I didn't want it to look like I was gettin' the hell outa Dodge."

"It's not like you were exposed more than once," Cordelia said worriedly as her eyes got that doe eyed look.

Buffy and Willow shared a look and the red head indicated Xander's bag with a jerk of her eyes.

Buffy nodded as she looked at Xander, "More than twice?"

"Third time's the charm," the young man said as he paced nervously.

"Damn," Giles said.

"What's gonna happen?" Cordelia asked as she rose from her seat and moved in to hug him.

Xander sagged against her as she caressed his barcode in a comforting manner.

While he was distracted, Buffy rose from her seat and moved over to lean on the counter. Very slowly, she moved her hand down to open the flap on the blue and white bag.

"We should find the rest of the swim team and lock them up before anything else goes wrong," the blonde Slayer said confidently.

"What's it gonna do to your revved up genes?" Cordelia whispered into his ear so the others could not hear.

"Maybe it's what triggered the shakes," Xander whispered as he rested his forehead against her shoulder.

Unseen by the others, Buffy removed the pills from the bag and quickly closed the flap.

"Yes, that's a good idea," Giles said loudly, "Perhaps we could get a tox screen on the gas to create an antidote."

"I can talk to the nurse," Willow said as she noticed Buffy's nod.

"I'm gonna go chat up the coach," the blonde said in a perky tone, almost too perky, "just after a trip to the little girls' room."


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

…Other Strange Happenings…

Xander and Cordelia strolled into the pool room as they looked for any of the other members of the team.

Xander rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he thought of gill girl and her mate. If he changed, he would prefer to at least look somewhat human like those aquatic transhumans did.

"Giles must have rounded up the other members," Cordelia said as she looked around, "Unless they're in the locker room."

"Wait here," Xander said as he looked around and headed toward the lockers and subsequently the showers, "If I'm not back in two… come lookin' for me."

Cordelia sat down on the bottom step of the bleachers to wait for him.

Suddenly, the back of her neck tingled slightly as her genetic instincts took over. Something was in the room with her.

Nervously, she headed toward the lockers. She heard a noise near the door and turned, expecting to see her boyfriend.

She screamed, startled, as a creature entered the room from the locker room and jumped into the pool.

"Oh, my God," she whispered, "Please don't be Xander."

She hedged her way to the edge of the pool and watched the creature swim under the water. "Alec? It's me, Max," she was very upset but she used a soothing tone as she spoke, "I know you can't say anything, but you were trying to help those guys." She frowned as she continued, "You looked REALLY hot in that Speedo…"

Xander smirked as he walked up behind her, "Max, that's cute and all…"

The other transgenic spun around to look up at him.

"But that thing's not me," he pointed toward the creature.

Cordelia dove at him, hugging him. "Alec!" she exclaimed in relief.

The pair both jumped, more like leaped inhumanly, away as the creature in the pool lunged for them. Xander pulled Cordelia by the hand as they led the thing out of the pool room and down the hall.

…Just a Rat in a Cage…

The rest of the swim team had changed into monsters. They milled around in the cage as the Scoobies, and Giles, observed them curiously.

"Everyone's accounted for," Cordelia stated with a frown, "the whole swim team, minus Xander, turned."

"Where's Buffy?" Xander asked as he looked at the creatures with a disgusted frown on his face.

"She's not back yet," Willow said as she watched the monsters from a safe distance.

…You Pulled a Sneak Attack…

Xander saw the coach leaning over a hole in the floor. The young man frowned darkly as he stealthily moved to stand behind the coach.

"What's goin' on?" the X5 asked quietly in a dangerous tone.

Coach Marin straightened, startled, "Harris! How are you?"

"I'm alright," the young man said as he circled the coach, not unlike a leopard rounding on its prey, ready for the kill.

The young man gave a snarling, half smile as he asked, "Do you know where Buffy is?" His nostrils flared slightly as he picked up the Slayer's distinctive scent under the noxious fish smell.

The coach gave a nervous half smile as he slipped a hand into one of the pockets of his jacket and gave a shark like smile as he fingered the pistol in his pocket.

The shot was loud as the bullet ripped a gash in Xander's shoulder.

The transgenic snarled as he leapt at the Coach at inhuman speed and grabbed the wrist of the man's gun hand in a crushing grasp breaking bones in his wrist. He punched the man in the jaw with a tight fist and the coach sank to the ground, down for the count.

Xander clutched his injured arm and looked down into the hole. He noticed the blonde Slayer and reached down, "Buff," he said as he used his uninjured arm, "Give me your hand."

Buffy leapt up the ten feet and grabbed the transgenic's hand.

Using strength the young woman did not know he had, Xander easily pulled her out of the hole pretending to struggle as he pulled her up and out of the hole.

"Thanks," the blonde said as Xander clutched his injured shoulder.

"You're hurt," she observed.

"I'll be alright," the young man said as he lifted his shirt. "It's just a graze."

Buffy knelt on the ground as she regained her breath. Her eyes widened as the coach loomed up behind Xander with a metal baseball bat.

"Hang on," the transgenic said as, from his crouched position, he shot up off the ground, spun in mid air and kicked the coach in the face. The blow took the coach out a second time.

"Wow!" the Slayer said, wide eyed as she watched her friend land in a crouch.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

…It's a Beautiful Day…

The birds were shining brightly in the blue sky as the police escorted Coach Robert Marin out of the school in handcuffs.

He was being charged with illegal use of drugs and attempted murder of two students.

Students and faculty gathered to watch the proceedings in disbelief and wondered what had happened to cause this.

Principal Snyder watched with a deep frown on his face, as the chances for the school championship went down the drain.

…Flushed…

Buffy and Willow watched Xander go through his bag for the umpteenth time. The girls shared a concerned look then turned back to continue watching him on the sofa across from them.

The young man scratched his head and dumped all of the contents of his bag out onto the sofa.

Buffy noticed his hands were shaking as he began to place things hurriedly into his bag.

"You're acting like a junkie looking for his next fix," Buffy observed.

"I'm not feeling so great," the young man frowned as he continued to look for his medication. The headache was mounting and if he did not get Tryptophan soon, he would have another, hated, bout of seizures.

At that moment, Cordelia walked up and noticed the other transgenic's erratic behavior.

"Where is it?" the young man asked as he stood up and searched the pockets of the black BDU pants he wore.

"You've got a problem, Xand," Willow stated with a worried look as she looked up at her friend.

"You're not going to find them," Buffy said as she eyed the young man cautiously.

Two pairs of intense brown eyes snapped to the blonde Slayer.

"Where are my pills?" the X5 asked in a dangerous tone.

"You should see yourself," Willow said as she shook her head sadly, sympathetically.

"Those mood swings of yours," Buffy frowned and continued as she ticked off his transgressions with her fingers, "showing up late to school on several occasions, the shakes and the fever, the rudeness."

"I NEED those pills cause I'm not feelin' well," Xander said as his hands shook and his eyebrows drew down.

"You're jonesing for a fix, Xand," Buffy corrected sternly.

"I need that stuff!" the young man exclaimed as he stood and had to control himself not to make a threatening step toward them.

"You need a twelve step…" the red head began.

She was cut off by Cordelia as she shook her head, "You guys don't understand."

"What did you do with 'em?!" Xander exclaimed.

"Flushed them," Buffy said immoveable, she frowned, stood up and folded her arms across her chest. "You need to de-tox."

"I'll die without that stuff!" the young man yelled in fear as he stormed away angrily.

"We were only trying to help," Willow said as she looked at the young woman across from her.

"I know you were trying to be good friends," Cordelia sighed heavily as she stood. "But, you should have left well enough alone," Cordelia said angrily as she ran after her boyfriend.


	10. Epilogue

Epilogue

…This Is a High Price to Pay…

"Where is Xander, girls?" Giles asked as he moved toward the counter and placed a stack of books on it.

"He's getting clean," Buffy said with finality as she and Willow sat down at their usual table.

"What?" Giles asked as he cleared his throat and looked at the girls, stunned.

"All this weird stuff that's been happening with him lately," Buffy said as she flipped a hand dismissively. "So Willow and I confronted him about it."

"What did you do?" The girls did not recognize Giles' threat in his voice as he surreptitiously cleaned his glasses. Ripper was dangerously close to the surface.

"We flushed his drugs," the Slayer said as she looked up at her Watcher unrepentantly.

"What drugs?" Giles questioned carefully.

"The pills he was hooked on," Willow said as she looked at her father figure with a frown.

"Yeah," Buffy nodded sternly, "They're hailing the porcelain gods."

Giles leaned heavily on the table, "You flushed his medication down the toilet?"

"He doesn't need them," Willow said.

The Immortal sighed as he sat, shoulders slumped, "Xander has a neurological condition. Those pills that you flushed are the only thing that helps."

"He never said anything to me," Willow sounded stunned.

"He would not wish to let it be known that he has a weakness," the older man said as he frowned, his forehead thumped against the table as he sighed heavily.

…I'm Here for You so Don't Forget…

He had been avoiding them all week. He knew why they did it, but he did not want to deal with the Saturday Morning Special routine yet. He sat in the pool room during lunch, his feet dangled in the water drawing small circles of current.

He thought of the Tank in Manticore and how he was able to hold his breath underwater for a really long time, nearly eight minutes if he prepared himself for it. He had broken the 5:97.354 record made by X5-741 when he was eleven years old. He remembered Sandoval, his handler, being very proud of that fact… had celebrated by giving him his first shot of scotch and a puff or two off of his cigarillo.

Buffy and Willow looked all over the school grounds for him without finding him. Finally, they had a thought that he might be in the pool room and looked for him there.

Scenting the girls and hearing the recognizable fall of their feet as they walked into the room, Xander frowned but remained seated.

"So the fish men are headed home," Buffy quipped airily as she sat down next to him.

Willow sat on the other side of him.

"Yep," Xander said as he sniffed and frowned, "All's well that ends well."

"What's wrong with you?" Willow asked into the long silence that followed.

"I have a problem with my brain chemistry," the young man said as he looked into the water, almost hypnotized by its blue glow and the crystalline brake as the light hit the surface. "The stuff I take, Tryptophan, helps my brain to regulate serotonin. If the levels get too low, I have a seizure."

Buffy frowned at this, "Are you alright?"

Xander shrugged, smirked then looked over at her, "I'm always alright."

"You know what," Buffy said as she leaned against his arm, careful of his injury, "You should have told us about this. We're your friends, we'd understand."

"You can trust us," Willow agreed with a sympathetic nod.

"This mysterious condition…" Buffy began.

Xander cut her off, "You guys wanna know?"

Both girls nodded encouragingly.

"What if I told you I was a genetically engineered super soldier?" He asked with a half smile on his face as he looked at both of them.

The girls laughed.

"Fine," the blonde Slayer said as she rolled her eyes, "don't tell us your deepest and dark. Whatever's going on with you…" she looked at him out of the corner of her eye, "…you're still one of my best friends."

Willow leaned against him on the other side, offering comfort. "Mine too," she said quietly.


End file.
